Words of Wisdom

President Benson’s 10 Suggestions for Successful Parenting

“Thinking of the example of his own mother and that of his beloved and faithful wife, Flora, President Benson has offered ten specific suggestions for mothers as they guide their precious children:

1. Take time to always be at the crossroads in the lives of your children, whether they be six or sixteen.

2. Take time to be a real friend to your children.

3. Take time to read to your children. Remember what the poet wrote:

You may have tangible wealth untold; Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be— I had a mother who read to me.

4. Take time to pray with your children.

5. Take time to have a meaningful weekly home evening. Make this one of your great family traditions.

6. Take time to be together at mealtimes as often as possible.

7. Take time daily to read the scriptures together as a family.

8. Take time to do things together as a family.

9. Take time to teach your children.

10. Take time to truly love your children. A mother’s unqualified love approaches Christlike love."

(see Ezra Taft Benson, To the Mothers in Zion, pamphlet, 1987, pp. 8–12; see also Ezra Taft Benson, Come, Listen to a Prophet’s Voice, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1990, pp. 32–36).

Thomas S. Monson, “Memories of Yesterday, Counsel for Today,” Ensign, May 1992, 4–5

I'm a Federal employee??? WHAAAATTTT????

Yes.

It is true.

I was officially sworn in as a Federal Employee today. I will be doing work for the US Census Bureau!

What did I get myself into?

40 hours of training! (That's 5 consecutive days of training!)

Who's going to watch my kids?

We only have one car! HOw is this going to work?

Somehow, it will.

After the training is complete, I will then be required to work 20-25 hrs a week verifying addresses in my community. I can work when it is convenient to me (as long as it is daylight hours) - SWEET! Right?? Yeah, I'm stoked. I know it's only temporary, but the extra money will definitely help while we have it! :)

You should see my cool badge...it looks so official! (Sorry, no pics... NO TIME!)

Just wanted to share my news!

My Rock Band

Found this tonight while blog stalking someone...(you know you're all guilty of a little blog stalking every now and then!!!)

Here are the rules:

1 - Go to "wikipedia." Hit “random”or click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random The first random wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.

2 - Go to "Random quotations" by clicking: http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3 The last four or five words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album.

3 - Go to flickr and click on “explore the last seven days”or click http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

Here are mine:

Band Name: PERSIA

Album Title: Most Enjoyable Part Of Life

Album Cover:

(Pretty sweet pic in my opinion!)

Feel free to play along!

a proud baller and green treats!

Last week Jakob was named "Player Of The Game" and received this certificate. He made 3 hits off the coach and we're so proud of him! I think he is pretty proud of himself too!



And...this cute ensamble of green goodies was waiting for us on our doorstep when we got home:


Our sneaky leprechaun brought us some yummy mint kisses in a lime green tin pail, green gum, a really cute headband, a delicious smelling green candle, cute shamrock napkins and wrapped it all up in a green and white checked picnic table cloth! Thank you! We love it! :)

Wish List

I don't know if many of you noticed, but I added a widget to my sidebar entitled "On My Wish List" and the first picture I posted was of some water bottles I wanted...but didn't quite expect to get any time soon.

My husband had other plans, and being the type to like to surprise me, he ordered some for us! When the box arrived, I didn't know what it was...but as soon as we started to unwrap them, I got very excited! So, here is a picture of some of them...a happy little family of water bottles! (We LOVE them by the way! and highly recommend them!)

** EDIT ** They are reusable, eco-friendly, bpa-free stainless steel, sustainable, clean tasting (hot or cold), and 100% recyclable. (and I just think they look cool!) :)check out their website for more info: http://www.kleankanteen.com/

Well, seeing as how I had that item on my wish list fulfilled, I decided to add a new item. It is a cute dress that I had looked at a few months ago, on this cool website and so there it is, now on my sidebar...waiting to be purchased! I don't think Brad is going to surprise me with this one though...he asked me if I was serious about it and if it was a costume?? WHAT? um, no, honey, it's not a costume. :( Who knows, maybe it won't look so cute on me? BUT, maybe it will!

I do have a birthday coming up you know!! A trip to H&M for a few new items would be great too by the way...how's that for subtle? :) Love ya babe!

Now if only I could figure out something cool for him for his b-day...

My Mosaic

(CLICK TO ENLARGE)

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search or just google it.
b. Using only the first page of search results, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into the mosaic maker. Choose 4 columns with 3 rows.

The mosaic maker is on this web address: http://www.bighugelabs.com/flickr/mosaic.php

Questions:
1. What is your first name? (Shari)
2. What is your favorite food? (chocolate)
3. What high school did you go to? (Klein High School)
4. What is your favorite color? (baby blue)
5. Who is your celebrity crush? (Big Daddy Vladdy!)
6. Favorite drink? (Coca-cola classic)
7. Dream vacation? (Iceland)
8. Favorite dessert? (Sour Cream Blueberry Pie)
9. What you want to be when you grow up? (A mom!)
10. What do you love most in life? (having fun!)
11. One Word to describe you. (Kooky)
12. Your flickr name (sharibeth78)





HAVE FUN!

Life with little boys...

When people see me with my 3 boys, I usually hear comments like, "Wow, you must have your hands full!" and "Are you going to try for a girl?"

To which I reply, "Yes, they keep me very busy! But they are lots of fun!" and "Well, no, I'm not going to try for a girl, just for another baby." And even at that, some people give me weird looks like, "What? Three kids isn't enough?" -- Like I MUST be crazy to want more, right? Well they are partly right in thinking that I am crazy...I am a little crazy -- but fun-crazy, not crazy-loco-crazy! (ok, I lied. I am MUY LOCO!)

So, life with little boys is always an adventure and often a messy one! You'd be amazed at how much fun they can have with a little bit of dirt. Digging is a favorite pass time -- especially when they find a "bone" (a.k.a. old seashell) and exclaim, "I'm going to be FAMOUS!" (Jakob seems to think there are dinosaur bones in our garden...) Or when he finds a penny, and runs inside and says, "Mom, this is from ANCIENT times!" I just love the enthusiasm and the imagination that is shared with me on a daily basis. Jakob's mind never ceases to amaze me...the creativity, wonder and inquisitiveness (is that a word?) is such a special trait to his personality...I hope he never loses it! I do hope that he will get his act together at school though...and stop doing things like throwing his lunch box on the roof! Well, at least he didn't beat anyone up...I guess I should look on the bright side! Anyone know a cure for impulsiveness? j/k

Joshy has always been the LOUD and very, VERY crazy one. Always trying to keep up with Jakob, and very expressive about everything. Lately he seems to think it's hilarious to change the words of the song, "If You Chance To Meet A Frown" to generally say that if you meet a smile, you should turn it upside down and frown that smile away! What a little punk! He loves his mad faces and whenever we draw pictures he wants a mad/sad face, not a smiley face. I don't know why -- maybe it's his inner tough-guy coming through? But I know he is truly a softy...a mama's boy through and through...always giving me kisses and hugs and cuddles...even during sacrament meeting -- LOUD kissing smacks on my cheek...even in those moments when everyone around me is trying to be reverent and quiet, I can't help but chuckle and smile...and just try to savor that sweetness. Joshy is always moving...when he was a baby my mother-in-law dubbed him a "bumper car" and I believe that was the perfect description of him. He just never stopped...and is the same now!

Drewbie Drew is the most mellow, chill baby I have ever met. I have to remind myself every day not to take him for granted...sometimes I forget that he's been sitting in his high-chair for 20 minutes after a meal b/c he is just so quiet...never a squawk! Even when he is sick and has a fever...he doesn't complain much. He loves to play Pat-a-cake with me and has mastered rolling the dough and throwing it in the air -- he even says "throw" now! He also says "moon" and points to it in the sky. I can't believe how big he is getting and I love seeing more and more of his personality come out each day. We sometimes sing (to the tune of Scooby Doo) "Drewbie, Drewbie, Drew, where are you?" and now he will say "Are you?" after we say the first part...SO cute! And the talking out of the side of his mouth??? HELLO, how cute is that. Totally unique to him. He didn't learn it from me or Brad -- or his brothers. Such a sweet, good boy. I think Heavenly Father wanted to spoil me with an easy kid so that I'd be sure to have more!!! :)

I think my favorite times with my boys are when I get to sit back and observe them all playing together...laughing and giggling, playing chase, tickling eachother, etc. Those are the best moments and I hope that they grow up being best friends. It is all flying by so fast...and before I know it I will be sending Jakob off on his mission...taking Joshy to get his drivers license and watching Drew pass the Sacrament. (Ok, getting a bit choked up now! I better stop.) I guess I've just had this "live in the moment" attitude today because of a lyric from one of my favorite bands that says, "The future is no place to place your better days..." I believe that is true. Make today great. Don't worry about all the cleaning and laundry that needs to be done. Cherish your little ones and make memories with them that they will hold dear for years to come. They won't remember if the house was always clean or if the meals were gourmet...but they will remember that you played with them and hugged them tight often...

Well, due to a slow shutter speed, here is how I feel the time is flying by:

Happy Monday!

Daily Gem

Hope Overcomes Despair

"The scriptures say that there must be 'an opposition in all things' (2 Nephi 2:11). So it is with faith, hope, and charity. Doubt, despair, and failure to care for our fellowmen lead us into temptation, which can cause us to forfeit choice and precious blessings."The adversary uses despair to bind hearts and minds in suffocating darkness. Despair drains from us all that is vibrant and joyful and leaves behind the empty remnants of what life was meant to be. Despair kills ambition, advances sickness, pollutes the soul, and deadens the heart. Despair can seem like a staircase that leads only and forever downward."Hope, on the other hand, is like the beam of sunlight rising up and above the horizon of our present circumstances. It pierces the darkness with a brilliant dawn. It encourages and inspires us to place our trust in the loving care of an eternal Heavenly Father, who has prepared a way for those who seek for eternal truth in a world of relativism, confusion, and of fear."

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Infinite Power of Hope," Ensign, Nov. 2008, 22

Jog-A-Thon Fun

Jakob participated in a jog-a-thon at school today...and ran 24 laps! Wow, I was impressed! They had fun music pumping and you could just feel the energy in the air...it was so cool! The kids had a blast and raised lots of money for the PTO! Everyone in his class wore cool matching headbands...LOVE IT!




I know there aren't 24 marks on that paper, but they kept score on the back too! Unfortunately we lost it on our walk home from school...so I promised him that after Drew (and Joshy too if he actually falls asleep) wakes up from his nap that we will go for another walk to try and find it. We'll see! But at least I have a picture!

St. Patty's Day Exchange

Last week I posted about doing a St. Patty's Day Exchange and mentioned that if you want to participate, not to spend more than $20. Well, I think this may have turned a few of you off because you're think you HAVE to spend $20! Of course you don't! You make it what you want...but if you spend money on it, don't go over $20. It could be a batch of green cookes, or typed up recipes and fun ideas to do with your kids, whatever you want! Make it as simple or as complex as you are in the mood for. :) And if you are still not interested after reading this explanation, THAT'S OK, I will still be friends with you. I'm not the grudge-holding type. :)